It's great that people want to protect Henry Moore from the tender mercies of the art market (Tower Hamlets claims it is selling the work because it cannot look after it, and that the move has nothing to do with Moore's high prices). But this is not an isolated story. It is a national problem that needs to be addressed in an explicit, logical way.

It sounds like a good case – but it doesn't work. Most works of art in local collections are like the Millais that Bolton got rid of: important, historic, even beautiful, but unlikely to fetch the millions that might impact on a council budget. No – the real local value of art lies in regenerating cities.

This is what Derby may be realising. The debate about selling its Joseph Wrights came after a long period when the city's neglect of its famous son was nothing short of bizarre. Now it looks as if Derby is going to try and make something of its connection with a great artist. It's obvious that a Joseph Wright museum in the city would be a real asset.